Restaurant operators’ outlook improves

WASHINGTON (Nov. 30, 2009) While customer traffic remained sluggish during the month of October, restaurateurs tended to be more hopeful about their prospects for the future, according to the latest monthly operator survey from the National Restaurant Association. The NRA’s Restaurant Performance Index, or RPI, posted its first gain in three months, registering 98.0 for the month, [...]

Report: Gift Cards Are The New Fruitcake

The popularity of store gift cards is plummeting, according to research and advisory firm TowerGroup. The reduction in card spending is reflective of less confidence in retailer inventories and stability. TowerGroup expects store gift-card spending volume to fall by 7%, with a modest increase of 3% in general-purpose cards in 2009, according to “Gift Cards: [...]